Winter '08: Boys Swimming

Nauset Regional and Nantucket high schools represented the cream of the crop this winter in boys swimming.

ROB DUCA

Nauset Regional and Nantucket high schools represented the cream of the crop this winter in boys swimming.

The Warriors were 7-3 overall and went a perfect 5-0 to win the Bay Colony League. The Whalers went 5-2 and finished second in the league at 4-1.

Nauset took fifth place at the Division 2 state championships and sixth at Central/South Sectionals. The Warriors sent six athletes to both meets, led by team MVP Joe McLoughlin, a senior, and junior Matthias Christensen.

Christensen notched a pair of second-place finishes at states in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley, and McLoughlin was fifth in the 500 freestyle and seventh in the 100 backstroke.

At sectionals, Christensen was second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 200 IM; McLoughlin took fifth in both the 500 free and 100 butterfly.

The Warriors broke school relay records at the state meet in the 200 medley and 400 free. Placing third in the 200 medley were Christensen (backstroke), McLoughlin (breaststroke), Drew Nowack (butterfly) and John Wallace (freestyle). The 400 team consisted of Andy Bulger, Wallace, Christensen and McLoughlin.

Leading Nantucket this winter was junior Beau Garufi. Competing at states in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM, he finished third and sixth, respectively. During the season, he broke a 200 freestyle mark that had stood since 1999, swimming 1:52.65. He also established a record in the 100 breaststroke.

Barnstable was led by senior Tim McGrath, who finished sixth at the Div. 1 state championships in the 100 butterfly. McGrath holds school records in the 100 free, 50 free, 200 IM and 100 backstroke.

Sandwich sophomore Alex Dropo was outstanding, establishing school records in the 50 and 100 free, while finishing seventh in both events at sectionals, and swimming on record-setting relay teams in the 200 and 400 free.